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y(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. RICHARDS. GOAL CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 428,951; PatentedMay 27, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet'. V2. P. RICHARDS. =COAL CUTTING MACHINE.

W11 WESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

vPHILIP RICHARDS, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOGEORGE IV. Sl-IONK, OF SAME PLACE.

COAL-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,951, dated May 27,1890.

Application filed January 4, 1890. Serial No. 335,925. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Plymouth, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoal-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, which will enableoth- Io ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the acco inpanyin g drawings,which forma part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspectiveview illustratingmy machine as applied to the cutting on one of thesides of the breast of coal within the mine. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing my machine as applied to undercutting the breast of coal. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the ma- 2o chine. Fig. 4 is a plan or top View ofthe same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on a vertical planeparallel to the axis of the machine. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionalview on line a; and Fig. 7 isa similar view, but- `showing the slidingcarriage at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 6. Fig. S is asectional view of the carriage detached.

Like letters of reference denote correspon ding parts in all thefigures.

3o This invention has relation to machines for mining coal, of that typewhich operate by undercutting the coal-seams within the drifts orgalleries of the mine, and are adapted to be operated by electricity,compressed air, or

any other suitable prime motor; and it consists in the detailedconstruction and combination of parts of the coal-cutting machine, whichwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, whereby themachine may be 4o adj usted so as to either undercut the breast of coalor cut it away at the sides, or both, as may be found to be expedient inany given case.

Reference being had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings, theletter A designates the movable frame or bed of the machine, which issupported upon two or Inore wheels B, four wheels being shown on thatform of my machine illustrated on the drawings. Journaled in boxes O Cin opposite ends of 5o this frame A is the automatic feed-screw D, therear end of which terminates in a squared tenon E2, whereby the screwmay be coupled to a piece of flexible shafting (not shown on thedrawings) for imparting a rotary motion to it. The upper side of theframe or bed A iares outwardlv, as shown at E E, and has bolted to itremovably by the nutted bolts F parallel beveled guides E E-one on eachside-forming the V-shaped guideways G G. Between these ways slides themovable car- 6c riage H, which is provided with a dependingscrew-threaded boss l, working upon the feedscrew D, so that as thisscrew revolves the carriage H will slide forward or back upon its bed orframe in the guideways G G, according to the direction in which thefeed-screw revolves.

The carriage H consists simply of a rectangular frame, having at itsforward end an upper and a lower projecting arm J and K, 7o betweenwhich the forward end of the shaft L is inserted, said shaft beingjournaled in the boxes or bearings M and N. This shaft, like thefeed-screw D, terminates at its rear end in a squared tenon O, wherebyit may be 7 5 coupled to the shaft from which it is to receive itsrotary Inotion. The sides of the carriage H, at opposite diagonal edges,are formed with beveled horizontal flanges a a2,

.while one or both of the other edges of the 8o said sides are formedwith similar flanges a3 a4 at right angles to each other, as seen moreclearly in Fig. 8. These lianges iit and work in the guideways G G ofthe frame A. `When the machine is arranged to cut horizontally, as seenin Fig. G, iianges a2 and a4 will engage, respectively, with guideways Gandy G', and when turned, as hereinafter described, to out verticallyflange a3 will engage with guideway G and iiange a with guideway G', as9o seen in Fig. 7 The forward ends of the parallel projecting arms J andK support a D- Shaped bearing P for a short vertical shaft Q, which hasat one end within said bearing a bevel-pinion S, meshing with thebevel-pin- 9 5 ion T at the outer end of the drive-shaft L. The upperand lower projecting ends of the short shaft Q have keyed or otherwisefirmly fastened to them the circular parallel cuttingdisks R R, theperipheries of which are armed with teeth of cutters V', either solidwith the disks or removable, and of such size and ILO shape as may befound most useful, aecordin g to whether the machine is to be used formining hard or soft coal or for cutting into the slate lining the seamsof coal to be mined. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that I donot limit myself to any particular shape or style of teeth on therevolving cuttingdisks R R. v

The depending screw-threaded boss Llby which the sliding carriage is fedforward or moved back upon its bed, is fastened removably to the underside of the carriage-frame by means of a screw-threaded extension V andnut IV; but in order to make it possible to shift the position of thecarriage upon its bed to a position at right angles (thereby changingthe position of the parallel cutting-disks to a position at right anglesto their normal or horizontal position for undercutting,) I provide thecarriage-frame II on one side with a plate or bearing X, having a eentral aperture Y, through which the threaded projection V of the threadedloess I may be inserted and fastened in place by means of t-he nut IV.

To change the position of the carriage and its appurtenances upon thebed, all that is necessary is to remove the parallel guides E and nutWI, when the carriage may be lifted off its bed, turned at right anglesor from the position illustrated in Figs. i. and G to that shown inFigs. land 7, after which the guides and nut are replaced, and the partsare in position for cutting into the breast at the sides of the driftinstead of undercuttingthe breast, as in Fig. 2.

As a matter of convenience, I prefer to coustruct the drive-shaft Il intwo parts or sections, which are connected so as to form practically asingle shaft by means of the collar or socket Z and binding-screw c..(See Fig. 5.) If desired, however, the shaft may be constructed in asingle piece.

Frein the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the manner of operating this machine will be readily understood. Byplacing the sliding carriage in its horizontal position upon the bed orframethat is, in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and G--therevolving cutters will cut into the breast of coal in a horizontalplane, thereby undereutting the breast; but by placing the slidingCarriage at right angles to this position, thereby bringing therevolving cutters in a vertical position, the breast may be cutsidewise, as illustrated in Fig, l. The cutters are fed forwardgradually by means of the revolving feedserew, to which motion isimparted by the same mechanism which revolves the cutting-shaft, andafter the earriage with the cutters has reached the end of its forwardstroke it may readilybe adjusted to its normal position, and byadvancing the bed the requisite distance the apparatus is ready foranother cut.

If desired, the bed or frame A may be mounted upon two wheels onlyinstead of four, in which ease the axle may serve as a fulcrum uponwhich to tilt the machine, so as to elevate or lower the cutters. rlhesame may be accomplished, however, in a fourwheel machine by means ofsuitable props or supports, whereby the front end of the bed andcarriage may be elevated, so as to bring the revolving cutters intotheir proper working position.

By the use of a pair ofrevolving cutters mounted upon the same shaft andrevolving together it will be seen that the cutters may be pushed intothe coal the entire length of the projecting bar of the slidingcarriage. This is of course impossible where a single revolving cutteris used, as in that case the shaft or arbor of the revolving cutterwill`be in the way, so that a single cutting-disk will cut into the coalonly the distance of its own radius. rlo overcolne this coal-miningmachines have been constructed with a jib, which protrudes into thecoal, and around which an endless chain provided with cutters passes;but experience with that class of machines has demonstrated that therevolving chain is apt to become choked up with the coal-dust, and isalso liable to break, while the whole machinery, owing to itsnecessarily complicated construction, is much more liable to get out oforder than the two revolving cutters employed by me in my machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United Statesl. In a machine for mining coal, thecombination, with the frame having outwardlyflaring upper sides and theparallel beveled guides removably secured to said frame, forminghorizontal V-shaped guideways, of the carriage having the diagonalopposite edges of two of its sides formed or provided with horizontalbeveled flanges and one or both of the other edges provided with twosimilar flanges at right angles to each other. substantially asdescribed.

2. rl`he combination, with the bed mounted upon wheels and provided withoutwardlydaring sides, and the removable guides fastened to said frameand beveled to form the horizontal guideways G G', of the removablesliding carriage Il, provided with the beveled horizontal flanges a a2a3 a, fitting in said guideways G G', the threaded downwardlyprojectingboss I, fastened removably to the underside of the carriage, the plateX, having aperture Y, and the revolving feed-screw D, journaled inbearings at opposite ends of the bed and projecting through said boss orplate,

according as the carriage is to cut horizon-A tally or vertically,substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

PHILIP RICHARDS. Y lVitnesses:

Louis BAGGER, WM. F. FoLKs.

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